I have spent the past couple of days getting caught up, posting older articles, clearing the backlog in my email inbox and otherwise refocusing on Talk of the Sound. Here are a few items of note that did not get covered due to my time spent on the campaign.
The Westchester County District Attorney postponed the Grand Jury hearing scheduled for May 10th. The DA plans to reschedule another hearing for early June with an entirely new Grand Jury panel.
New Rochelle Fire Commissioner Raymond “Doc” Kiernan Announces Retirement After 45 Years
New Rochelle Parks and Recreation Offers Extended Hours
Dick Cavett to Emcee Iona College’s 50th Trustee Award Dinner, April 29
New Rochelle Appoints New Tax Assessor to Replace Chip Perone
Iona Prep President Comments on Bankruptcy Filing of Christian Brothers Institute
New Rochelle’s Annual Memorial Day Parade: “We Remember” Salutes Vietnam Veterans
The New Rochelle Sound & Town Report: Democrats announce City Council candidates.
Greg Maker reports that the New Rochelle Democrats will run incumbents Noam Bramson, Jared Rice, and Barry Fertel for their current positions on City Council and Roberto Lopez (District 1), Ivar Hyden (District 4) and Shari Rackman (District 6) will run in their respective districts. The Democrats have not selected a candidate for District 2.
Here’s a story that you
Here’s a story that you missed, New Rochelle’s Assemblymembers (Amy Paulin & George Latimer) have introduced legislation so that the city of New Rochelle can charge a 3% tax to your ConEd bill.
Dubbed the Utility Tax, I just don’t understand how or why this city can’t seem to balance its books without more and more money. Port Chester lowered their tax rate by 5%, why not New Rochelle? My only conclusion is that all residents in the downtown tax-abated developments now want city services which the rest of the city has to pay for.
I didn’t read anything about cutting services or spending only the need for more tax dollars. I didn’t read anything about efficiencies that might be had (and I can easily think of a few myself) in any department only the need for more tax money. We need to live within our means yet city hall continues to pass unbalanced budgets that are filled with bonding and 1 shot infusions of money like this year’s budget that borrowed to pay pension and certiorari claims. I’m surprised city hall didn’t go for an income tax like Yonkers has, but maybe the higher ups thought that’d be pushing it too much.
The bottom line and problem with any new tax is that regardless of how unpopular it may become, they never go away. Just take a look at the MTA payroll tax that’s very unpopular and everyone rushed to repeal. But guess what, the MTA tax is still on the books and we’re all stuck with it. I’d rather the city double or triple the garbage tax than add a new tax.
Could use your help then
You do realize that since you already have an account on Talk of the Sound you have it in your power to write an article on this topic. All you need is a headline and a couple of paragraphs describing the legislation.
You can find the legislative information here: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A07745&term=&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Votes=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y
You can find some of the problems with the GRT here: http://www.ppinys.org/reports/GRTreport/hidtax20.htm
You can find some of the good done by a GRT here:
http://www.cpa2biz.com/Content/media/PRODUCER_CONTENT/Newsletters/Articles_2008/CorpTax/panacea.jsp
Use this or find your own but write up 150-200 words on the subject.
Not just Con Ed
The proposed increase of the gross utility tax will apply to Con Ed, united water, Verizon, Cablevision, satellite, plus any other utility you may subscribe to. Plus, you can’t deduct it from your income tax like you do with property tax. The problem is that its so hidden in plain sight that you wind up griping about your utility bill going up instead of laying blame on the city collectors. That seems to take away a level of accountability on the city officials. Certainly more information is needed. Any takers??